free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Work took me to Edinburgh on Friday for a conference. Reluctant to give up the "weekend spirit" we headed through on Thursday night (2.25 hours to do 70 miles- I ask you
) and camped at Mortonhall. A very frosty but dry Friday morning saw me heading to my meeting and Allison adding to her marilyn numbers by climbing Arthur's Seat
A mosey through town when I was finished, picking up a new pair of winter trousers (Montane Super-Terra, I'd recommend these) and a vegan pizza at Novopizza in Howe Street followed by a couple of beers at 6 degrees north whilst Scotland got humped at football.
Off reasonably early next morning to Perthshire, passing by the almost-completed Third Forth Bridge and up to Amulree. Not been up the Sma' Glen before, rather pretty. Parked at the Village Hall in Amulree and got ready to set out for Meall nan Caorach and Meall Reamhar, a brief little circuit, not too taxing. We walked along the road for about a mile, turned left at Girron Farm and followed a track until we reached the western flanks of Creag Ghorm. Starting off at almost 300m does mean that ascent to Graham height is easily done
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Al, on Flickr
Up Creag Ghorm
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Al, on Flickr
We wandered on from the summit of the Simm, down and across to Meall nan Caorach. Views up Glen Quaich and to the Glen Lyon hills, still snow topped. We paused for lunch then set off down the bealach between Caorach and Reamhar, which is just over the minimum 150m (by about 4 metres). A boggy section at the base then straight back up again alongside an electric fence to reach Graham #2, Meall Reamhar. Walking NW along the shoulder we continued down into the glen and met up with our ascent track. Back to the car in 4 hours.
Loch Freuchie
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Al, on Flickr
Summit Caorach
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Al, on Flickr
reamhar
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Al, on Flickr
Back to Caorach
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Descent
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
It was only 3pm by this time and still sunny. Not enough time to get up another hill though. We'd contemplated camping at Comrie Croft, one of the few campsites still open at this time of year, but it seemed pointless as we'd planned to be right back in Amulree the following day. So we wild camped round behind the village hall, out so sight. Darkness fell by 4.45 and we were in for a cold night - one of the disadvantages of being at 285m is that you are definately colder overnight
Up for 7, a rosy dawn that unfortunately heralded in a rather dreich day. Meall Dearg was our target today, along with several Simms en route. The track follows the Rob Roy way along a private road past Lochan Cottages, turning uphill after a couple of kms by the Kinloch Burn. This passes a number of grouse butts and comes out almost at the top of Creag nan Gobhar. Beinn na Gainimh and the hills around the east of Ben Chonzie loomed across the loch. On to Creag an Loch then a decision to make - my plan had us going over Creag Choille and Meall Odhar which would add a fair few kms onto the route - probably easier to save those for another day and head round Loch Fender via the 637m hill to its NW. An unexpected (ie not shown on map) bulldozed track made much of this going easier, and an ATV track was followed from the 637 top down to Meall Dearg itself.
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Track up by the burn
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Creag an Loch to L, Meall Dearg on R
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Al, on Flickr
Looking to Dearg
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Al, on Flickr
Quite a lot of baby pine trees around the summit of Meall Dearg - must keep the deer away somehow. We dropped down to the SE of the summit and took shelter from a cold wind to eat lunch. Clag was right down - cleared a little as we rose to continue, revealing a large windfarm to our left. Then on to Beinn Liath, again we found a new track not on the map and continued this onto more established track lower in Glen Fender. Managed to take a different track to the one on my GPS which did join up with the intended route later on, having passed a pile of deer skulls
and thence back to the car.
Looking to Meall Dearg - misty
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Not the most dramatic weekend out - typical eastern hills, takes a bit of adjusting to after all our recent west coast splendour.
